22 Birds of Lakeside and Prairie 



wing's retreat. This blackbird occasionally gives his friends 

 a surprise. I found his nest one spring day in a damp spot 

 within forty feet of a house in the town of Lake Forest. 

 The Skokie, where his brothers dwelt, was a mile away. 

 A much-traveled street passed within twenty feet of his home, 

 and children played daily under the trees almost within touch 

 of the nest. 



A redwing took to a treetop as I crossed the bridge over 

 the first slough on that morning's trip. I was still thinking 

 of the hawk and pigeon, and was paying but little heed to the 

 swamp resident, notwithstanding the fact that he was saying, 

 "Look-at-me, look-at-me, look-at-me," as he swung to and 

 fro on his slender perch. He soon forced my attention, how- 

 ever, by taking off in full flight after a crow. The redwing 

 literally rode on the crow's back. I have seen the kingbird 

 perform this feat, but did not know that the redwing had the 

 spirit for such deeds. It is a mooted question whether or not 

 the life of the crow has in it more evil than good. I was 

 once a stanch champion of the crow's cause, but I have been 

 wavering of late in my allegiance. To my mind the most 

 convincing evidence against him is the unanimity with which 

 all the smaller birds hate him. He must be a nest robber, or 

 else why the consternation whenever Corvus appears in a nest- 

 ing neighborhood? 



I left the blackbird behind before he had given his part- 

 ing peck to the crow. There is a high, dry bit of meadow-land 

 just beyond the swamp, and there I found Dickcissel. Dick 

 has a yellow shirt-front and wears a black button in its center. 

 Some one, I have forgotten who, found much of dignity in 

 Dick, and claimed that unquestionably his right name was 

 Richard Cecil. Richard, however, does not take kindly to 



